All is not well with MGM Springfield.
As reported to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in January, gross gaming revenue of $18.9 million in December was the lowest full-month revenue figure in the casino’s 16-month history. The disappointing numbers follow GGR of $19.9 million in November, at the time the second-lowest monthly figure.
The less-than-stellar numbers have kept employment at around 2,500, less than the 3,000 promised in MGM’s pitch for a casino license, according to the Boston Business Journal.
Meanwhile, revenue was up at Encore Boston Harbor in Everett. Encore reported $13.5 million in GGR in December, making it the casino’s best month since its opening in June.
Supporters say approval of sports betting should help turn things around. Among those supporters are Michael Mathis and Courtney Wenleder, who left MGM Springfield as president and CFO, respectively in January in the wake of disappointing results. If sports betting happens, it would help MGM draw visitors and compete with sports betting operations that are already legal in neighboring states like New Hampshire, Rhode Island and New York.
Another hopeful sign is the 2020 opening of a Wahlburgers restaurant, one owned by Dorchester natives Paul, Mark and Donnie Wahlberg.
Mathis said MGM is changing its marketing and offerings and plans to rely on more entertainment and events to draw crowds. He cited the Boston Red Sox Winter Weekend in January, which drew thousands to the MassMutual Center.
MGM is having a positive impact on the region’s tourist economy as a whole, said Mary Kay Wydra, president of the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. According to a Visitors Bureau’s survey, that works out to an average of $572 spent per traveling party per day.
“That’s a whole category of spending we didn’t even have before,” she said.
